For now, Iridigm has been prototyping screens using iMoD, which uses light interference to modulate light and convey colours. The company has five issued patents in the US and about 15 more pending, according to Larson. The patents are for the tiny elements that are the building blocks for iMoD matrix displays. The iMoD elements are built upon two conductive layers -- one a flexible metal membrane, the other is a thin film. These layers are held about 1 micron apart between two sheets of glass. When a voltage is applied to the element, the metal membrane layer becomes attracted to the thin film layer, turning the element black. Varying the voltage brings the layers closer and farther apart, and the distance between the layers determines what colour -- red, green or blue -- the element displays. Fewer than 100 iMoD elements typically make up one pixel, and a typical flat-panel monitor comprises hundreds of thousands of pixels. Screens typically draw the most power of any component in a portable device. In theory, one of the key features of iMoD displays will be their ability to hold an image without consuming much power, because of pixel memory. Once a voltage has been applied to an iMoD element, it requires less power to hold the metallic layer in place than it does to move it. This is music to the ears of portable device makers, who are constantly looking for ways to improve battery life. Larson said it was too early to estimate how much power might be saved with Iridigm's displays, compared with LCDs, but said it would be a significant saving in portable devices. "For many portable applications, screen content changes infrequently, and our technology only draws power during those changes. In contrast, LCDs draw power no matter what the content on a screen is doing," said Larson. Iridigm is looking for manufacturing relationships and has already drawn interest from device makers, according to the start-up. It has raised $21m (£14) in its series A funding round from investors including Qualcomm, Intel Capital, IDEO and Picvue Electronics.
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